Lawyers for Ex-United Public Wrkrs. (UPW) chief Gary Rodrigues and his daughter asked a fed. judge to order an acquittal or a new trial on over 100 charges of embezzlement, of which the two were convicted in November.
But as Rodrigues’ lawyers charged fed. prosecutors with misconduct in the Rodrigues trial, the Amer. Fedtn. of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME) took control of its state affiliate, the UPW, and suspended its bd. members and state officers. AFSCME officials took the action after Rodrigues, in violation of AFSCME orders, convened a bd. meeting after his conviction. Ignoring the wishes of local officials acting on AFSCME authority, the Bd. appointed Rodrigues’ choice of a temporary UPW director.
AFSCME officials then sent a delegation from their Washington. DC. headquarters to Honolulu, which placed the UPW under direct control of the Intl. on Dec. 5. [Honolulu Advertiser: 12/17/02, 12/6/02]
Ex-Ohio Treasurer Charged with Embezzlement
On Nov. 8, 2002, in the U.S. Dist. CT. for the Southern Dist. of Ohio, Jeffrey L. Williams, former treasurer of Local 11 of the Amer. Fedtn. of State, County & Municipal Employees, was charged in an information with embezzling $3,312.65 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the Cleveland branch of the U.S. Ofc. of Labor-Mgmt. Standards. [DOL OLMS 12/12/02]